AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a $528 million (£330 million) Project Management Consultancy (PMC) contract by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) for a new oil refinery at Al Zour, Kuwait.

When completed in 2018 the multi-billion dollar refinery is expected to be the largest in the Middle East and will increase Kuwait’s refinery capacity by 615,000 barrels per day. It will be a key part of Kuwait’s long term strategy, producing cleaner fuels to meet its electrical power generation growth and demand while adhering to the latest environmental standards.

The contract is expected to create around 300 new jobs for AMEC.

Dr Hisham Mahmoud, AMEC’s Group President, Growth Regions, said: “This contract award supports our Vision 2015 strategy, which includes growing our presence in the Middle East’s oil and gas upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. It is also an example of our ability to leverage our global design, engineering and project management expertise to deliver complex projects for our customers anywhere in the world.”

Alan McLean, AMEC’s Vice President of its Middle East, Africa and CIS business, added: “This project is significant for AMEC in the Middle East and recognises the experience and knowledge we have gained by successfully delivering PMC contracts in the region. The project is also important for KNPC in enabling it to meet the demands of its customers.”

See the site of Al Zoor refinery